Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1887-06-17
LITTLE CHARLIE.

Not q pleasant place to die In, and per-
laps II was Just as we'll that poor phmbo
Wells. In her restless delirium, fancied
ie.self back in the esweetscontcd orchard
at home.
Meanwhile child OF four years old,
With hisround faco bcsmcared with dirt.
uia his faScn curls tightly matted to-
.ethcr With neglect, sat coiled up IN, a
yindow-seat. playing with q hcadlcss
'yoodcn.hotsc md singing softly to him.
self. Whpt did little Charlie know OF
leath?
"Sure. It's waridcrin' she is,. enid ,nc
of the wpfion who were sitting IN the
room; .and enough To tiro the patience
of the blessed snints themselves, sitting
lere. Thero,s the bit OF o letter she
,oSan to wfito an6 hadn't strength TO
,inislf. What'shall wc .lo with IL ~ ssE
Burn II, shortly returns wrltklcd (;
old haB. who was already busy III turning
over the slender store of linen insthe
wern hair-trunk to find something iit-
ting for shroud; "it's no use 10 any
body now, nm she can't spako reasonable
as to where 1t ls to go, ies, yes, honey,
l Know as PhGbo stretched out her
nttenuatod hands with awlstfnl cry Of,
"Charllc-you'lltuko Charlie homc."'
.'Surc. an IT'S that wo will" said tho
old woman chuckllng, "wcvo got
nothin' else, to do, my flno lady, an
lots o money to spare, cxcursloning
round tho country! Lie still, dcar!"
But still shc CRIED "Charlie--Charlie!
md tho younger woman lifted the littlo
;rcaturc, still clinging to his wooden
Torso. on TO the bed. Charlie opened
his blue eyes and began to cry.
Mamma, what makes you look so
stranger
She drow him 80 closo down to her
with shudderlng sigh, his checks
against 'hors, his tangled curls ming
ling with her dishevcllcd black trcsses.
oh my baby. cannot go and leave
The dcath-rattle In her throat inter.
rnptcd oil further attempts at speech.
There wcro one or two incohcrcnt MUIR
nuring sounds-that was all--and so
poor Phoebe Wells died.
They took little Charlie away bewil-
Icred and terrified, and dispatched
someone for tho "pnupor's coflin.">
whichwas to cnfold tho poor creatures
last rcnialns.
"Shcs got no fricnds,r said Mrs.
Dennis, "an' it's but fair. afthcr oil tho
'roublo we've had, Norah Macarty, We
should divide tho little sho's left"
IT'S me ought to have tho bits o
clothes an things. said Eorali jc,,lously.
. You ncyor came a-nigh her till last
two days.
We'll, an ats no moro than fair,
Norah, dear" said tho Irlsllwoninn
smoothly; ''an' you goin' to 10 mar
ricd In. n month. You knpo tho clothes,
an welcome. and I'll hnvo tho hit of
boy; hos just tho child / want for
begSin. since thoy took poor llttlo Dar-
noy O"Toolc away, worse luck to 'cm!
SOTIoo q long child. mn stop that cryin' or
itll be tho worsol Tor, sez. Did 20 want
taste o Mother Dennis strip"
Charlie followed his rough Ea!dc.
frightened into n trembling silence.
Poor little crcaturoi II was well that
ho was not old enough to realise tho ter
rlblO fatc now opening before iiir,.
fcz wouldn't bclay IL, an' him so
young" said Mrs. Dennis trlumphantly,
but hos tho best litter IN NIL tho
children SEQ there. Mike Dooloy. two
handkcchcrs nm snufr.box, let alone
tho two apples from tho pcdilcr's stand,
an IN ash-box hnls full OF illigant
papcr-rags. Give him drop o. yer beer,
Mike, an ye shall have baked potntics
an piRs-trottors for Your supper.
This was one Of Charles lucky DAYS.
Sometimes hc came home, blue Will,
cold. pennylcss, and without booty OF
any kind; and then Mrs. Dennis was
ms liberal In theus of the strap. and
what is called ''thc rough side OF hor
tongue" as she was in her rewards.
I'll run away when I'm big enough T.
resolved tho little six-ycar-old hero,
many night rs he lay on his straw
pallet. with half-a-dozen other puny
wretchcs rs miserable as himself,
watching tho peaceful stars shining
through the rafters overhead.
Mrs. Dennis says my mammals
name was Bridget Lanigan, but IL
wasn't; 1t was Phoebe! She told me
SO once; and Ind wooden-horse
to play with, and used to sny my
'em now; and Pat Keelan says they're
NIL trash-nnd-and--a
So little Charlie dropped off to sleep,
as forlorn n little wretch rs night
broodod- over with her peaceful pro.
tecting wings OF starry darkness.
But Charley did not run away. In
the first place, there was nowhere to
run to, and Charlie Was sufficient Of a
conservative to remain quietly when
he WAS sure Of shelter and daily bread
/ to eat; not always that. however, unloss
Mrs. Dennis was IN good humor.
Thon, Child as he was, no felt himself
to be q sort OF pariah in tho outer
world, his tiny hand nguinst every mans,
and every nuns against him.
Such wns the State of affairs, one Dc
ccmbcr night, when our littlo horo came
waiting homo with purple checks and
chilled fingers and toes, conclous that he
had nothing to plead why he should not
bo sent sunperless TO bed.
But. TO his nstonlshmcnt, Mrs. Dennis
was, all motherly nffabllity, and Mike
Doolcy himself took him between his
knees In front OF tho bldzing fire, and
hcIpeil to chnfe his hands.
bike, In general, being ns brutal a
ruffian as ever camo In contact with the
law. Charlie could not imagine what II
all meant.
It's two old maids of 'em liyin' nj
alone" said Mrs. Dennis,s reshrning tht
conversation where 1t had been brok et
of at Charles entrance: "and there's q
closot full of old plate. an Moral
says-Norah cleaned them, yez knows
tho staircase windy, openin' on tho
back street. would lot good-sized cat
In between tho bars, and whero cal
cnh go our Charlie can. Wouldn'. yez
like that. Charlie dear, to help crack O
crlb?"
Charlie stared vacantiy into tho fire,